The best Indian movies of 2025 did not have a lot in common—except for the fact that they all managed to touch the hearts of people watching them. From intimate family dramas to films dripping with rich folklore, the big screen saw it all this year. Audiences gravitated towards movies that explored themes such as caste, class, sexuality, migration and grief. In a landmark year for South Indian cinema, we also had crowd-pleasing superhero films, seat-gripping revenge thrillers and beloved sports dramas.
In 2025, Indian cinema once again proved that in a country as diverse as ours, our tastes are just as wide-ranging. Films like Homebound and Sabar Bonda made waves internationally—with screenings at Cannes and Sundance—while others like Kantara and Saiyaara became box-office phenomena, drawing audiences back to theatres in large numbers. This list brings together our top 12 picks for the best Indian movies of 2025.
Homebound (Hindi)
Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound was based on Kashmiri journalist Bashrat Peer’s New York Times essay, “A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway”. Set in North India, the film follows two childhood friends—a Muslim and a Dalit—as they attempt to clear the police force exam. After repeated delays and failures caused by systemic inequalities, the young men give up on their dreams and become migrant workers in Surat, Gujarat. They are then caught in the sudden COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 with no way to get home. Produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, the film stars Ishaan Khatter as Mohammed Shoaib Ali and Vishal Jethwa as Chandan Kumar Valmiki. Homebound is a quiet, beautiful film and has been praised for Ghaywan’s direction, Khatter and Jethwa’s performances, the writing and the editing. The film is India’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Streaming on Netflix
Diés Iraé (Malayalam)
Diés Iraé—which translates to ‘Day of Wrath’ in Latin—follows Rohan Shankar (Pranav Mohanlal), a wealthy young man whose life is turned upside down after the suicide of Kani (Sushmita Bhat), his ex-girlfriend. As strange, paranormal events start to occur in his house, he begins to suspect that Kani’s spirit is haunting him. A surprisingly effective horror film, the movie explores themes of family, loss and grief just as much as it aims to unsettle the viewer. The score composed by Christo Xavier is particularly noteworthy.
Streaming on JioHotstar
Saiyaara (Hindi)
Saiyaara, a film about a troubled, self-destructive singer finding love with a determined songwriter suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, now holds the title of the highest-grossing Indian romantic film of all time. The movie gained a cult following upon its release in July and played a key role in bringing Indian audiences back to cinemas. Marking the debut of breakout stars Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara has been praised for its beautiful soundtrack, strong performances by the cast and Mohit Suri’s direction.
Streaming on Netflix
Tourist Family (Tamil)
Tourist Family follows a Sri Lankan Tamil family who, following the Sri Lankan economic crisis, arrive in India in search of a better life. Through their quirky personalities and happy nature, they transform a grumpy, disconnected neighbourhood into a vibrant community. But suspicion falls upon the immigrant family after a bomb blast occurs in Rameshwaram. Intriguing, funny and heartwarming, the movie deals with heavy themes in a light and easy manner. The soundtrack and background by Sean Roldan and the performances of Sasikumar, Simran, Kamalesh and Babu have been widely appreciated.
Streaming on JioHotstar
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (Malayalam)
One of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2025 and the first chapter in the Lokah series, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra introduces Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan), a mysterious young woman who moves to Bangalore after being summoned by the Moothon (the Elder) to fight a hidden evil. Chandra begins to display supernatural strength linked to Kerala folklore—specifically the legend of Kalliyankattu Neeli. Her secretive nature draws the attention of her neighbour, Sunny, while her powers start making the corrupt and misogynistic cop, Nachiyappa, suspicious. Written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was a refreshing new entrant into India’s superhero genre.
Streaming on JioHotstar
Kaalidhar Laapata (Hindi)
In Kaalidhar Laapata, Kaalidhar (Abhishek Bachchan) is a middle-aged man with early-stage dementia. After overhearing his family’s plans to abandon him at the mela when attempts to euthanise him go wrong, Kaalidhar decides to stop being a burden and leaves on his own. He meets an eight-year-old orphan named Bhallu (Daivik Baghela), and the two set off on a road trip across India to live life and tick items off Kaalidhar’s bucket list. A sweet, heartwarming film about life and its many cruelties, Kaalidhar Laapata shows us the power of unlikely bonds and friendship.
Streaming on Zee5
Eko (Malayalam)
Eko, the third and last instalment of Bahul Ramesh’s Animal Trilogy, dives into a rare world where animals and humans are deeply connected. Nothing is as it seems in this Malayalam-language mystery thriller. The film was praised for its visuals, non-linear narrative and writing. The cast includes Sandeep Pradeep, Biana Momin, Narain, Saurabh Sachdeva and Vineeth.
In select theatres now
The Great Shamsuddin Family (Hindi)
The Shamsuddins are a liberal Muslim family living in New Delhi. Eldest daughter Bani has secretly applied for a job in the UK and has a 12-hour deadline to complete her application. In this comedy of errors, things keep going wrong as family members start showing up at the house, leading to mounting chaos, especially when her younger sister Iram arrives and confesses that she forged a cheque for ₹25 lakh for her boyfriend, who has run away with the money. The ensemble cast includes Kritika Kamra, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Sheeba Chaddha, Farida Jalal and Purab Kohli.
Streaming on JioHotstar
Kantara: Chapter 1 (Kannada)
The highest-grossing Indian film of 2025, Kantara: Chapter 1 mixes folklore, divinity and history to create an extremely compelling story. A prequel to the 2022 mega-hit Kantara, this movie dives deeper into the origin of the traditions and conflicts shown in the first film. The film stars Rishab Shetty in a dual role along with Jayaram, Rukmini Vasanth and Gulshan Devaiah. Although Kantara (2022) was also a box-office phenomenon, critics and audiences especially praised Kantara: Chapter 1 for the plot, world-building and performances.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Thudarum (Malayalam)
A revenge thriller, Thudarum deals with issues much heavier than it initially leads you to believe. A major commercial success, the film stars Mohanlal as “Benz” Shanmugham, a taxi driver who loves his ageing Ambassador. When the car goes missing, Shanmugham is forced to fight back against unjust forces that threaten to disrupt the lives of his entire family. Thudarum is a story about resilience, justice and the quiet rage of an ordinary man driven to extremes.
Streaming on JioHotstar
Bison Kaalamaadan (Tamil)
Based on the life of kabaddi player Manathi Ganesan, Bison Kaalamaadan is a sports action drama film. Set in 1994—a year marked by extreme caste-based violence—the film follows Kittan Velusamy (Dhruv Vikram), a young man who fights against these injustices to pursue his dreams and excel at the sport he loves, with the goal of representing India at the 1994 Asian Games.
Streaming on Netflix
Sabar Bonda (Marathi)
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s directorial debut, the Marathi-language film Sabar Bonda, follows Anand (Bhushaan Manoj), a man from the city who is stranded in his hometown as his family mourns the death of the patriarch during a ten-day ritual. The death allows him to reconnect with his childhood friend Balya (Suraaj Suman), and a quiet relationship begins to blossom between the two. Sabar Bonda was the first-ever Marathi film to premiere at Sundance, and it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Competition at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
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